Phuket Rental Deposit Scams: Checks and Who to Call
A landlord letting three or more units must use the standard lease, and on its short-term form your deposit plus advance rent may not exceed three months of rent. With no damage, you get the deposit back within seven days of the lease ending. For lease abuse, call OCPB on 1166; for fraud, Tourist Police on 1155.
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Before you pay a Phuket rental deposit, work through three quick checks. First, count the units the landlord lets; then add the deposit to the advance rent; last, read the money terms in the lease. Every answer sits in the residential-lease rules and Form A.
Three checks before you pay
- Count the units. Start by asking the landlord how many units they let, because the rules cover operators who let residential buildings with three or more units in total. Those units can sit in one building or several, and units let online count too.
- Add up deposit and advance rent. Put the two figures side by side before you agree to anything. In the standard short-term lease, any term that lets the operator collect both together above three months of the monthly rent is prohibited. The same applies to a term letting the operator forfeit either sum when you, the tenant, are not at fault.
- Get the money terms in writing. Make sure the Form A clause for the deposit amount, the advance rent amount and how each is paid is filled in. Its bank-transfer option sends money into an account in the operator’s name, so check that the account name matches the landlord named in the lease.
Next, turn to the paperwork itself. The lease must carry Thai-language text that can be seen and read clearly, and it comes in two matching copies. A record of the building’s condition and fittings is attached, and you get a copy. Before you pay, walk the flat, photograph every mark and sign that record.
Three signs of a deposit scam
Scammers rely on speed, which is why the first warning is a landlord pushing you to pay immediately, before you have seen the flat. We recommend walking away from anyone who will not let you view the place and read the lease first.
The second sign is a request for your passport as the deposit. Keep it with you, since a landlord who holds it may keep it until you pay for alleged damage. Pay against the money terms written in the lease instead.
Renting from abroad calls for a stand-in. Ask a trusted friend or a reputable agent to visit for you and check the ownership documents before any money moves. That visit also shows whether the person you are paying is the person holding the keys.
Does the cap cover your landlord?
It does when a residential building is let to an individual, whether on a short-term or a long-term lease. Short-term here means a rental period of three years or less. Dormitories under the dormitory law and hotels under the hotel law fall outside the rules.
The rules have been in force since 4 September 2025, after the notification appeared in the Royal Gazette of 6 June 2025. The other lease clauses are covered in Rental contract in Phuket.
Getting the deposit back
Expect your deposit as soon as the lease ends. Under Form A it is due back immediately, unless the operator wants to check for damage you are responsible for. With no damage on your side, it comes back within seven days after the lease ends and the operator has retaken possession.
| Situation | Rule | Claim |
|---|---|---|
| No damage | Deposit returned within seven days | |
| You damaged the building or fittings | The operator may deduct the repair cost it had to pay | |
| Damage from normal use or wear from normal use | No deduction | |
| After a deduction | The rest returned within fourteen days |
Tell the operator how you want the deposit sent. The cost of sending it back by that method falls on the operator.
Where to complain or report fraud
Lease or deposit trouble goes to the OCPB: call the hotline 1166 for advice, or file a complaint through the OCPB Connect app. Have the lease, your payment proof and the condition record at hand when you get in touch.
For fraud, ring the Tourist Police Division hotline on 1155, open 24 hours. In Phuket, the Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud Center is at Phuket International Airport, tel +66 76 327100.
327 Yaowarad Rd Rang Hill, Wichit, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
A 2026 villa-booking fraud in Phuket
In August 2026, police arrested a woman who had posed as a property agent and taken more than 5 million baht from foreign and Thai victims.
One victim sent 1.5 million baht for a villa in Cherng Talay, Thalang, plus another 500,000 baht. On arrival, the owners and receptionists could not find the tourists’ names on the booking list. A real booking shows up with the owner or the front desk, so confirm it with them before you pay.
Next in this journey
Begin with Renting an apartment in Phuket. After that, work through the clauses in Rental contract in Phuket, and finish with Phuket electricity and water bills.
Step by step
- Ask how many units the landlord letsThe standard-lease rules cover operators with three or more units.
- Check deposit plus advance rentTogether they may not exceed three months of rent on the short-term lease.
- Get amount and payment method in the leaseForm A records the deposit, the advance rent and how each is paid. Its bank-transfer option goes into an account in the operator's name.
- Sign the condition record and keep a copyThe operator attaches a record of the building's condition and gives you a copy. The lease itself is made in two matching copies.
- Chase the return, then complainWith no damage the deposit is due within seven days. Still unpaid: call the OCPB hotline 1166.
Not confirmed: How many units your landlord lets: ask, because the standard-form rules cover operators with three or more units. A private owner with fewer units is outside that count, so get the deposit terms in writing anyway. Leases longer than three years are not covered here.
Common questions
How much deposit can a Phuket landlord take?
Together, deposit and advance rent may not exceed three months of rent on the standard short-term lease. That rule binds any operator letting three or more units.
Can the landlord keep my deposit if I did nothing wrong?
No. A lease term that lets the operator forfeit the deposit or advance rent when the tenant is not at fault is prohibited.
When must the deposit come back?
If you caused no damage, expect it within seven days after the lease ends and the operator has retaken the flat. When a deduction is made, the rest is due within fourteen days.
Can the landlord deduct for normal wear?
None. Form A allows no deduction for damage from normal use or wear from normal use.
How should I pay the deposit?
The lease records the amount and how it is paid. Form A's bank-transfer option means paying into an account in the operator's name.
Who do I call about a deposit dispute?
Call the OCPB hotline 1166 for advice, or file a complaint through the OCPB Connect app.
Who do I report a fake landlord or villa booking fraud to?
Ring the Tourist Police Division hotline on 1155, open 24 hours. In Phuket, the tourist fraud centre is at Phuket International Airport, tel +66 76 327100.
Does the lease have to be in Thai?
The lease between operator and tenant must carry Thai-language text that is clear to see and read.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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